it is destroyed. >> i went to the tornado shelter myself, and the my family which was a couple of miles away from where we were, and a lot of the people from the community was the there. it did work, and if you can see the destruction that is here, even though we have lost some lives, there are many lives saved because of the storm warnings. >> the governor is tour ing tin storm warnings, and president obama is sending condolences from his trip in asia. >> i want everybody known affected by the tragedy knows that fema and the federal government is on the ground, and your country will be there to help you recover and rebuild as long as it takes. >> and now joining us is charles key who is in mayflower, a arkansas and, charles, you are driving around and tell us more about the damage that you are seeing there. >> and perhaps the most

unluckiest place is a small rural community dotted be farm town, and yesterday in the space of 10 minutes, two towns were severely damaged, mayflower and vilonia. there are as many as 16 people believed to be dead, and that search and rescue is continuing this morning. i am standing in a rv sales park, and there were 14-large bus-type mobile homes here for sale. i can see two of them. the rest are shattered and splintered and scattered into the nearby woods. this town of 1,200 is a farming community, and if this storm had just missed by maybe a half mile, it either direction, it would have missed the entire town. it is sounded by water.

to the south is the arkansas river, and 230 t nnd to the nor east are fields, but as i say, faulkner county is the most unlu unluckiest place right now with two towns sadly suffering. >> and charles, looking at the damage in this video, what are they doing as far as people in shelter, and accommodations, and this is still early, and it is still sinking in the reality of what is happening there, and the children and the other folks who rim pacted and what is the shelter right now? >> well, the operation right now is search and rescue, and even the residents who live there cannot get in, because it is search and rescue, and trying to find survivors or more victims. there are shelters set up, a it is a rural area, and everybody knows everybody else, and it is family helping family here. >> and as charles pointed out, a

search and a possible rescue at this point, and hopefully more information as with we are awaiting a couple of news conferences regarding the ares s hit hard last night. and this weather is expected to be a three-day event. let me bring in bill karins, and bill, we will see the damage that has been done, and there is a fear of more to come. >> and it is definitely possible. it is not possible that it will be exactly the same, but the big thing is that we want it to rain, and rain-cool ed air in te region, and with we are getting it now, and maybe thunderstorms in memphis, and nashville, and you are lucky and fortunate. let me show you the storms currently and we have a tornado watch up for northern louisiana and central mississippi, and no tornadoes reported over the last couple of hours. it is pouring rain with severe thunderstorms with strong gusty winds trying the approach the memphis area, and again, we can deal with that, but we want to

avoid the hot and humid air that precedes the tornadoes, and the same for nashville. that going to lower the risk. and this is going to be updated throughout the day, but yesterday they updated that red area to high risk, and it is possible today, but looking more and more unlikely with all of the clouds in the way. as far as the tornado threat, the best chance of getting them is between 4:00 and 10:00 tonight, and those are the late night tornadoes that scare us, because you don't see them coming. these storms are 40 to 50 miles per hour, and you can pretty much draw the line on the map from nashville to jackson, mississippi and then on either side of that, and that is the best job of seeing and dealing with the tornadoes, and they are told to have their plans in place in case they have to go to shelter, and some schools in alabama and arkansas are planning to get people home earlier so that the people will

be in their homes when the storms hit. and we have a had a number of pictures from mayflower, and we haven't been able to get into the small town to the north, vilonia, and some of the pictures out of there, and the search and rescue, it is looking like ef-4 or ef-5, because the town portions of it, they just don't exist anymore. hopefully we can get the crews in there later, but it is a small town, a ond one big road going in and out. >> and we saw that, bill, in moore, oklahoma, the line, the caravan of people trying to get into the town to your point, a small town, and kind of one way in, juan way out situation. and we should note that the d audience that mike beebe of arkansas, the governor, is expected to have a news conference here, and focusing in

on may flaur flower to your poi it is going to extend to vilonia, and other cities and towns that could be impacted by the severe weather. thank you, bill, for joining us. we appreciate it. and now we are following a defining moment for the nba. the fallout of the clippers' owner donald sterling with politicians, and hollywood stars and even the president weighing in. on the i "today" show, former sacramento mayor and nba star kevin johnson says that he has relayed the voice of the people. >> we want the maximum imposed. if it allow s him the fitness o

the person is intact, and allows him to continue, and if he does not have that action, e then you have to explore the option. and matt, what exactly, what player would play for this owner? >> and he was not in attendance there yesterday, but his former estranged wife shellie stiviano was there. the team is set to play the first home game since the scandal broke tomorrow. doc rivers and the players talked about how they are going to be feeling about this. mike bloomberg say ths that he has $50 million to fight my gun rights, but i have $25 to -- >> obviously, that is the wrong

audio. the firestorm with this recording has been emerged, and msnbc has not been able to authenticate the tape as reported by deadspin and cnn. >> don't come to my games. don't bring black people and don't come. do you know that the whole team that's black that plays for you? >> you just, do i know? i support them and give them food and clothes and cars and houses and who gives it to them? we have heard the report, but we don't know if it is legitimate or altered, and it is saying that what is on that recording does not reflect his views, beliefs or feelings, and he is apologizing to anybody who is hurt by them.

joining us is sports editor dave zion, and he is shaking his head already. it did not say that sterling denies his voice? >> no, dit was not. >> so is that an admission that it is his voice? >> yes, it is his voice, and the idea that donald steriling is a race cyst the worst kept secret in the nba, and you don't need a recording to tell you so. unless you are not an nba plan or living in a hermetically sealed place has the excuse to say that he a racist. he had to pay out the largest settlement to the justice department since the fair housing act of 1968 because of the treatment, and the outward racism towards blacks and latino and this is in regard to the case of the slums, and then he

was sued by elgin baylor who called him a plantation-type atmosphere in the team, and he would point out their bodies in the locker room, and say, look at those buteautiful black bodi. this is somebody whose racism has been ignored and commissioner should not get off scot-free, because it has been decades. >> and it is going to be curious to see what the nba commissioner says, but the power is in the hands of adam silver who said they have to do the investigation and the due diligence here, and that is may not be what he is saying behind the scenes, but think with a common sense mind here, and in reality what is happen beg hind the scenes has to be aligning of the forces. when you have magic johnson one of the most admired athletes in all of sports linked to them, and michael jordan and you made a great point that in the ten

year years that i covered news in chicago, michael jordan never stepped his toe into anything politically, and anything that was seen as dicey waters, and he dove right into this one as a former player and owner. >> and most famously, of course, what is going to be in the write-up of any michael jordan is to challenge jesse helmp s saying that even he buys tennis sh shoes. and others have as well, because donald sterling is bad for business. state farm, one of the biggest sponsors of the clippers is talking about pulling out the sponsorship of the clippers, and once they are toxic, they are expandable. and watch the owners throw the owner of them overboard as fastly as possible.

>> and whether the tattoos makes them thugs or the associate of the neighborhood makes them a gang player, and all of this things with the player, but this is caught on tape, the allegedly owner, and everybody has to ask themselves involved with this, would we react so slowly if this were a player? is. >> yes, and think of the way that tiger woods, both the womanizing and you could argue the misogyne and the treatment to women, and how it was handled by the press, and the fact that people are saying casualty, donald sterling and his wife and his girlfriends, and on the tape the way that he speaks to the woman is absolutely stunning. people are not mentioning that part of the story either, and he is an embarrassment to the nba and the fact that it is exposed shouldn't be news. >> and you bring up the woman involved in this, and her

attorneys say that she did not release it, but it is interesting that one of the first statements of the clippers point out that she has a lawsuit against her which then i saw, and many people see as attempting to make a lot of this about her character whoever e she may be. >> sure. but at the end of the day, the tape is the tape is the tape, and as we started it, no denial it is his words, and he is starting the if anyone is offended, i apologize. >> yes, we know that line very well in the day and age. donald sterling was set to be awarded award by the naacp, but the chapter has announced that he will not be receiving that award, and joining us is if interim president and coo, we are hearing that the senator

will hold a public conference at 1: 1:00. and so thank you for joining us. >> thank you for having me. >> and how do you know that this voice is awe tent kated and the second thing is from women and men, and black and white, and what was the naacp thinking and why was this man set to receive an award when he paid $2.7 million for a suit that he was accused by the justice department of driving latinos and african-american children out of apartment buildings that he owned. >> tamron, the branch in los angeles is made up of volunteers who do their best to help people in the community. it is obvious that mr. sterling was helpful in the effort to l help others, and their decision to offer him an award.

they gave him one in 2009, and that is rescind. and he is not going to receive theward in a few weeks that ha been anticipated. it was a local decision, a local decision made by the volunteers there, on their assessment of who was most helpful to them. >> and i want to stay, and brin out, that you are president of the national chapter, but it is a local chapter, and players and owners saying that this is the best kept secret, and so the local chapter did not talk to former players or anybody else who has made these allegations, and they did not look at the justice department of the united states of america, and say, is this person worthy of the brand of the naacping with being attached to his name? >> tamron, that was an unfo

unfortunate decision that we are coming out with new guidelines to assist the branchs in the vetting process. >> that is great news. this is the first time i have heard of that and can you tell us a little bit some of the changes that you are be looking at as an interim leader? >> well, with we want to maintain the autonomy that our local pranches have even though we do provide them guidelines and regulations of how they should manage their operations there so that we have consistency nationwide. clearly the local folks are in the best position to identify the people who are helpful to them as they try to assist others. this is unfortunate, and we will do the guidelines, but tomron, we talk about the

discrimination, and the racism going on in the country, and i see it as an opportunity to say to the american public, and we have a lot of work to do, and this is a guy like this who say s something, and this is seeming deep-seeded and not something that he came up with overnight. but we have the racism, and the discrimination is rampant in the country, and takes different forms. and if you stop and look at the new york stop and frisk, and that is racial discrimination at the zenith. so many african-american and latino and young men who were involved in the dragnet of law enforcement that was absolutely stunni stunning. >> absolutely. and there were voices from all states who took to a stand

against the stop and frisk as with the new major. >> yand the question is should there be follow-up on the investigation of daniel sterling, and we should broaden the conversation, but if the blind eye is turned because somebody made a donation of 2000 or so tickets and donation to another chapter, and the sins of the part have to be looked at as you are the interim leader of this storied naacp. >> absolutely. and we are coming up with new guidelines to approach all 1,200 of them nationwide. >> i know in your role of this work, it is a challenge, but this is one that nobody saw coming. we will hear about the new guidelines that will ensure that

this will not happen again. >> thank you. >> thank you. and today, russia is responding to the new round of sanctions that president obama set forth today. >> we will give a expanded list of individuals and businesses who will be receive sanctions. and there is a mayor who was shot in the back wounded today. >> and now 20 criminal charges including tax fraud against new york congressman michael grimm. and he surrendered to the fbi agent agents this morning. that is something that you should know. and looking forward to this, cedric the intentertainer is go to join us live, and talk to us about his storied entertainment career, but something that she is serious about. he wants to improve the lives of inner city program, and he wants to spread the word at

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developing within the past couple of hours, russia is respond i responding after president obama announces new sanctions against m moscow over the ongoing crisis in ukraine. the president spoke in the philippines where he is wrapping up a week-long tour of asia. the new sanctions add seven more russian officials and 17 companies to the list announced last month of those whose sasses are frozen and denied visas to travel to the united states. . >> we will be moving forward with an expanded list of individuals and companies affected by the sanctions, and they are going to be targeted,

and we will focus on areas of high-tech defense exports to russia. the goal here is not to go after mr. putin personally, but the goal is to change his calculus with respect to how the current actions in ukraine could have an adverse reaction to the economy over the long haul. and the president said that he will be able to replace of the products lost with his own resources. and earlier today, more violence with the pro russian mayor of ukraine's second largest city is in serious condition after being shot in the back today while riding on a bike. jim maceda joining us. he just left the town seized by the pro russian militants, and joining us by phone in eastern

ukraine, and jim, tell us about the violence on the ground there? >> hello, tamron, we were in donetska, and we saw pro-russian militants take over the police station, and using cranes, and this is an hour or so after the takeover, and huge crepes to pile concrete blocks outside of the occupied city hall to protect themselves from the attacks from the other side, and they told us that they are going to be taking over build gts in five more towns in the rekrun. -- they will be taking over more buildings in five more towns in the region. we have been seeing them tightening, and expanding more areas, and more ukrainian forces out in larger numbers and working the more checkpoints and the roads and the surrounding

towns like slaviansk, and tamron, we are seeing a deepening and the low-grade driven or the security office driven conflict where you are seeing the contract killings, and more lethal beatings, and people using baseball bats, and more abductions as well. this is becoming the new normal and it gives you the idea of how dangerous, and chaotic the situation is in eastern ukraine, and of course, nobody here believes that any sanctions are going to have any effect at all of the policies or the spiraling almost out of control in the eastern ukraine. back to you. >> thank you, jim maceda. today, the congress recalls from easter recess as both parties are to take on the debate of the minimum wage, and we will talk

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and just a few hours from now at 2:00 p.m. the u.s. congress is going to be back in session returning to work after a two-week vacation. the first order of business is a bill to raise the minimum wage. the democrats are expected to graj cli raise from $7.25 to

$10. $10.10, and the wage hike is opposed by the republicans, but it is is favored by the voters. joining us now is msnbc's political editor mark murray. a scorecard. for the democrats why is this to a strong way for them to go? >> well, it plays into the playbook, and shows that they are looking to give americans a wage increase, a salary hike, and that the current minimum wage just isn't when you adjust it for inflation isn't up to the past standards and so this is a way for them to be sure that folks can get more money, and tomron, o tamron, some americans believe that the economy is not working for them, and it is a way to tap into the dangers of the income inequality, and the republicans are countering using a congressional budget office report saying that hundreds of thousands of jobs could be

eliminated in a minimum wage increase, although the same congressional budget office report says that millions of americans will end up getting a wage-hike. >> and talk about the republicans. i mean, we have talked about this a lot, mark, regarding the public opinion in the polls showing largely that people support it, an increase in the minimum wage, but it is not moving the conversation forward with the republicans, and so what could we see different as the senate is look agent this closer? >> well with, the one thing that could move the republicans is more pressure, and votes for the democrats to say that the republicans are on the side of your employers and your bosses, and not on the side of the workers. that is one of the things that hurt mitt romney in the 2012 election, because polls showed that the president had a 10-point advantage when it said which candidate is looking out better for people like you? and tamron in the past, whether

it polls well or not does not mean it is going to be getting the votes or the ability to get past the house or the senate, and when you have an entire party against something like the minimum wage, it is going to be more difficult to get past the senate when you need a filibuster-type ma jjority. >> all right. mark, thank you very much, and we will see what happens next here. right now, a large part of the nation is under the threat of severe weather, and search and rescue teams are looking as we speak in the survivors of the deadly tornado outbreak. >> driving around until we found somebody who needed help, and we get out to deal with it. >> some of the people are seeing damage for the first time this morning, and some areas are difficult to reach even now at this hour. we are getting new information from arkansas and we have the latest for you on the storm as it moves across the south and the midwest. and shocking video of a florida

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back now to the breaking news. people in three states are digging out after a reported 31 tornadoes touched down in a deadly outbreak yesterday. they are doing it under the threat of even more serious weather. watches are out right now sh, a tornado watches up all morning for parts of the midwest and the south. severe storms and tornadoes and flooding are possible through wednesday. the arkansas governor says he does not know still exactly how many people are missing. joining me on the phone is kathy wright of the arkansas department of emergency management. kathy, thank you so much for joining us, and considering the circumstances there on the ground, but first, can we talk about the recovery and the rescue effort that is happening in some of the communities that you have had a difficult time reaching people, and what is the latest there? >> first of all, thank you.

there are teams that are out in the individual areas that were affecte affected, and we have multiple agencies, emergency management, law enforcement, ems, on scene. we have the state emergency operations scenter the activate here at the office of the emergency management, and trying to coordinate to get the resources to those in the affected areas. >> as i understand it, and let mow know the update here, that some of the affected areas, it is difficult to get the emergency crews there. >> we do have the emergency crews on scene. they are out working with them at this time. many of the roads are shutdown at this point for -- well, open for emergency responders. >> and the assistance provided to people on the ground right now, i know that many are still just in a state of shock when you look at the damage.

just from the video, you can not imagine what it must be like to be there, and we are looking at the video shot via drone, and this is mayflower, and the tornado may have stayed on the ground for two hours there, and what kind of assistance are you providing as far as people -- i don't know, to help them collect the little bits of things that they can at this point. >> right, right. from here, we are helping to coordinate the basic needs such as food and water. we have other needs that are requested such as veterinarian care for animals injured, and of course sh, the ems, and just, y know, any type of resources that we can get to them that nay need. we ri trying to do so and working with the state agencies and the federal government as well.

>> kathy, thank you very much, and i know that you are incredibly busy right now, but with this weather as a threat in your area, and other parts of the country, thank you, and our thoughts are there with you and the entire community. >> thank you so much. we do appreciate that. and outrage in chicago after another violent weekend. >> he served the country, and he is retired and he is dead because somebody killed him. a police officer. >> five people dead and 40 people wounded and one of the victims, including a woman headed home from an anti-violence event. it happened moments ago, a new federal warrant issued against senatorgram. and there is going to be a scholarship program that cedric

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welcome back. a 700-page book about economics is at the top of the best seller's list. there it is, "capital in the 21st century" the best selling book last week on amazon.com, and topping senator elizabeth warren's new book, and the book "is heaven for real." this book is being hailed as the most important deck in a century, but a "new york post" title says that this ridiculously far left economist is candying for the liberals, and he said, you can think of it as a "50 shades of grey" for the professional and intellectual status. and now joining me ahead, zachary who is from the global

strategy investment firm, and the author of "the leading indicators" the numbers that rule our world. zachary, thank you for coming in, and the critique of the book comparing it to the acela, that is a train from new york to boston and it is considered to be the upper echelon of those who take it, so is why is this book taken in such a way that it is hostile. >> well, it is a great line from the "new york post," but people are reading nit droves faster than "50 shades of grey." that is a whole other subject on "newsnation," but it is a great point of conversation whether you agree with the general view,

and it is about growth and equality over the past 30 or 40 years, and looking at the his h or the cal patterns, and the 19th century, and says this hasp happened before, and it is not going to self-correct. right. you have to do something to change that process where wealth begets wealth, and everybody else is stagnates. >> and he says that it widens the gap between the rich and the poor, and these policies will continue to do so. and urges 80% tax on those at $500 million or and paul krugman said that the conservatives are terrified and the response is name calling, and claiming that he is a marxist, and so is anybody who considers equality

and wealth as an important subject of you had the cannonization -- canonization of two popes in rome yesterday, and then to have the inequality that has given the conservatives pause about him, which is intriguing. >> right. for the post popularity is rather than focusing entirely on the social issues e which were animated, but looking at what animates people around the world. are they able to make the needs meet and address needs by income, and in particular, he argues that the political wealth gap is harmful to everybody, and some are debating how much of it

is happening, and it is the what the are the effects of it happening? and it is a a legitimate view. but one thing that author does not do is that for much of the world outside of europe and united states, there has been massive wealth increase and also massive wealth inequality meaning that in china, a few people at the top are doing really, really well, and so is it fact or endemic? and that is vital and that is whether or not you agree with his statement. >> it is a conversation not to run away globally, and one to have. thank you, zachary. another violent weekend in chicago is topping the "newsnation" today. five people are dead and nearly three dozen ingyred in multiple shootings, and one of the victims was believed to be killed in a drive-by shooting, and one woman killed from going

to the antiviolence fund-raiser. >> and there is a shocking individual outout of a father pushing his son off of the skateboarding rank. the dad said he kicked the son because he needs to the learn. ooh. florida's department of family and family services is investigating what the dad might need to learn. and coming up next, cedric the entertainer is going to join us, and we will talk about what he feels will help inner city kids go to college. [ female announcer ] the secret to luminous, shiny color? innovative cc cream from nice 'n easy. our advanced treatment helps keep highlights and lowlights shiny and luminous. cc cream, find it

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as one of the original kings of comedy, cedric the entertainer is no stranger to laughs. he has done it on stage, tv and hit sitcom and big screen in movies like "barber shop" and

has a game show gig too, hosting "who wants to be a millionaire." let's talk about his passion to help others as a philanthropist and foundation he started in his hometown of st. louis. cedric the entertainer, thanks for joining us. >> hey, tamron hall, good talking with you. >> i've got to talk to you about this idea of spreading your success and spreading the message that what you've been able to achieve other young and men can do the same thing with this scholarship program. tell us about it. >> you know, i've been doing this probably since '96. i grew up in a single parent household where my mother was a school teacher and raised my sister and myself. it was a loving kind of household and kind of energy where i felt like you know, where my mother wanted to make sure my sister and i believed we could do and be anything.

and you know, i try to encourage that so i feel that kids who have the opportunity to build up their character and person from the inside-out, usually can be extremely dynamic and no matter what their circumstances they are born into. that's what i do with a lot of my charity work for my foundation that i do. >> we just apparently lost our connection to cedric the entertainer. are you there? >> i'm there. >> someone jealous of your skills and comedy tampering with our connection there. you've given out over $100,000 in scholarship money to kids. they have to have an average 3.0 grade point average and obviously demonstrate they are in financial need. we applaud that as well as the

fact we applaud your career. i've always loved you for many reasons and the list goes on and on, cedric the entertainer, end of story, the drop the mike name of all times here. but you have such an exciting career. you resonate with audiences of all races and ages. >> it's just one of those things that i believe that, again, a little bit of both, being born in st. louis, blue collar kind of strong work ethic and getting my college degree then working the corporate world, i kind of -- i write material that i feel like i got a little something for everybody that's sitting in the audience. and being raised by my mother and grandmother, you know, you kind of find that thing that touches, you know, kind of all individuals and that's what i look for, that observational

slice of life kind of comedy. >> we love you dearly and will see haunted house two with the wayan brothers. we want to see you on a late night show. you can dance and sing and do it all. >> that will be hot. i'm looking for something else to do. i don't have enough jobs, tamron, right now so -- >> i'm putting you to work. all right. cedric, thank you so much and thank you for caring about the kids in st. louis and reaching out to help them. you are the man. thank you. >> and that does it for this edition of "news nation," up next, "andrea mitchell reports." bob corker joins andrea on the sanctions against russia. wife. and with two checks a year, everyone wins. [ female announcer ] switch today and get two safe driving bonus checks a year for driving safely. only from allstate. call 866-906-8500 now. [ dennis ] zach really loves his new camera. problem is...this isn't zach. it's a friend of a friend who was at zach's party and stole his camera. but zach's got it covered... with allstate renters insurance.

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>> right now on quts andrea mitchell reports, at least 18 people are dead after a tornado outbreak rips across 17 states overnight turning entire neighborhoods into rubble. the worst of the twisters carving a half mile wide path of devastation 80 miles long as communities pick up the pieces today we'll have the latest on where the severe weather is heading next. >> as far as the tornado threat, the best chance of tornadoes will be between 4:00 and 10:00 tonight. these storms will be moving at 40 to 50 miles per hour. >> putin's circle with eastern ukraine at the boiling point, the u.s. orders new sanctions against putin's cronies, is it too little too late? >> the goal here is not to go after mr. putin personally. the goal is to change his cal sculus on how the current actions could have an impact on the russian economy over the

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